Mail-bag



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. 0. WILSON.

MAIL BAG.

Patented Feb. 9

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. 0. WILSON.

MAIL BAG.

Patented Feb. 9, 1892 J. y m

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i f UNITED STATES PATENT. O FICE.

CHARLES C. WILSON, OF COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA.

MAIL-BAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,715, dated February 9, 1892. Application filed September 17, 1891- $eria1 No. 406 1005- N mod To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. XVILSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Columbus, in the county of Platte and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful'lmprovements in Mail-Bags; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

' clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mail-bags.

The object of the invention is to provide a mail-bag or pouch with a fastening device, by means of which the covering or flap can be locked or released by a single movement; and it consists in providing the bag onone side with a spring-actuated crank-arm, which carries a hasp and slides having arms adapted to be passed through or withdrawn from the staples of the pouch when said hasp is lowered or raised, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

' The invention further consists in providing an improved construction of mail-bag, so that when said bag is held in a rack 'or support in an open position the label or direction-tag will be visible.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a front elevation of a mail bag or pouch, showing my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 00 w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view, showing the pouch in a rack as it is held in distributing postal matter. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a modification of my invention. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the sliding plate.

A designates the mail bag or pouch, which is provided with a covering-fiap A, carrying the usual staples a a. Near the upper end of the pouch is rigidly secured plates 13 B, which are each provided with eyes I) b, serving as bearings for the members 0 of the crank-shaft 0, these members being bent or looped, as shown, and connected to the corn tral portion of the shaft by knuckle or hinged joints 0 to give the required degree of fiexi bility to the shaft. The central portion of the crankshaft is encircled by a spring having a loop which bears against the under side of the hasp E, the normal tendency of said spring being to throw said hasp in the position shown in full lines in the drawings, said spring also holding the hasp in an elevated position, so that the label carried thereby button or projecting knob e, which will prevent the displacement of the label when the hasp is looked, as said button or knob will then be against the end of the hasp.

To the crank portions of the shaft 0 are attached plates F, with which the arms G are connected, said arms passing through guides h, which may be either eyes, as shown in Fig. 4:, or headed pins, as shown in Fig. 1, said guides being carried by plates H, attached to the pouch. The movement of the arms G is limited either by the balls on the ends thereof or by the headed pins engaging with the ends of the slot.

It will be noted that with the pouch pro vided with the attachments herein shown and described when it is desired to unlock the same the crank-shaft 0 is turned to withdraw the arms G, carried by the crank portions thereof from the staples, which movement will release the covering-flap. When the shaft is turned in the opposite direction, the arms will be projected and guided through the sta ples and the hasp placed in engagement with the centerstaple and locked. When the'hasp is not in engagement with the center staple, the spring will hold the same, so that it will be visible above the pouch. In the construe tion shown in Fig. 4: the hasp turns down by the action of the spring. The crank-shaft being jointed permits the upper portion of the pouch to have the desired degree of flexibility and overcomes any danger of the shaft bending.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings the plates 13 B carry slides B, which are connected thereto by overlapping blocks, the upper portion of said slides being slotted, and to these slides are connected the arms G. The crank por tions of the shaft 0 are connected by straps B to the slides in any suitable manner, as by a headed pin or rocking connection.

Having thus described my invention, I do not Wish to limit myself to the precise construction herein shown, but reserve the right to modify the same.

I claim 1. In a mail bag or pouch fastening, the combination of a crank-shaft carried by the pouch, laterally-movable arms carried by the crank portions of the shaft, and guides therefor, said arms being adapted to be laterally projected, so as to enter staples carried by the pouch when the crank-shaft is turned for engagement with the locking-staple, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a mail bag or pouch fastener, a jointed crank-shaft spring-actuated in one direction and provided with a locking-hasp, the crank portions of said shaft having arms connected thereto, which are adapted to be laterally projected for engagement with staples when the locking-hasp is brought in engagement with its staple, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a mail bag or pouch fastener, aspringactuated shaft 0, carrying a hasp and labelholder, and crank portions connected thereto by knuckle joints, said crank portions carrying locking means adapted to engage with staples when the hasp is depressed against the action of the spring, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a mail bag or pouch fastener, locking means carried by the pouch and consisting of a jointed crank-shaft, a spring D encircling'the same, movable members connected to the bent portions of the shaft, and guides therefor, which are adapted to move the arms through the staples carried by the flap of the pouch, substantially as set forth.

5. In a mail-bag fastener, the combination of the spring-actuated rocking crank-shaft connected to guided locking-arms and a hasp E, carried by the crank-shaft and provided with a transverse portion, which is adapted to receive a label or shipping-card, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with a mail -bag constructed substantially as shown and provided with a hasp having a transverse portion which is adapted to receive a label or shipping-card, a button or projection attached to the pouch adjacent to the open end of the label-holder when the same is in a locked position, substantially as set forth.

7. In a mail-bag having staples and apertures through which said staples pass, a crank or rock shaft carried by the bag. and provided with arms or members G, which are connected to the crank portions of the shaft and are adapted to be projected through different staples and Withdrawn therefrom as the crank portions of the shaft are turned to or from 

